'Vinpearl' spell out the giant white letters across the bay from mainland Nha Trang, marking the location of a massive theme park and recreation area that is best reached via a scenic cable car ride (the world's longest sea-crossing cable car at 3.3km long). There is plenty to discover: from thrilling 'dry' rides such as the Sky Wheel and ZipLine to the extensive offerings of the water park, to seeing the park's animal residents (most notably on Monkey Island) at the on-site zoo and aquarium. There is a namesake resort here in case you want to stay close to the action, plus a few beaches that are much more pleasant for swimming than the public beach in Nha Trang city.

This underground museum was voted the best in Europe in 2012, and is an essential visit for anyone interested in how the island's volcanic formations came to be. Centro de Interpretação do Vulcão dos Capelinhos uses multimedia to teach visitors about the formations as well as the island's history, notably the 1957-58 eruption.

Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer, earned international fame for his expeditions across the Pacific Ocean on board the Kon-Tiki and Ra in 1947. And at the Kon-Tiki Museum, you can follow the intriguing events during his expeditions and their significance to world history. See the actual balsa and papyrus rafts, and learn more about Heyerdahl’s travels.